You are currently browsing the monthly archive for May 2009.
I’ve read posts that criticize the show (click here to see promo) as yet another poor portrayal of nurses. I’ve finally seen the promo, and I have to say – I’ll be watching.
She has some rather glaring flaws (including addictions and questionable ethics), but I’m glad to see that she is not simply another angelic handmaiden. Her knowledge base is evident, and she tries to advocate for her patients. One of my favorite moments in this promo was her reaction when she caught a potentially fatal mistake of hers. This is a person who truly cares.
For those in an uproar over those addictions and questionable ethics, they need to remember that this is a television show. Of course that behavior is unacceptable (and illegal), but this is a television show. There would be no show without conflict within herself and between herself and others.
I’ve only been a nurse for a year and a half, and I’ve known of nurses who’ve abused. I’ve known of nurses who’ve bent the rules. I’ve seen (or heard) of inappropriate workplace behavior. This show isn’t making anything up; it’s simply dramatizing behavior that can be found in any workplace.
There is so much to be mined from the nurse’s experiences. We have three new shows about us this year: Nurse Jackie, HawthoRNe, and Mercy.
That’s pretty cool.
** In response to The Nurse Practitioner’s Place…
When I returned from Florida, I found this card from my director.
My brilliant idea? Set up the computers to reboot themselves to save the nurses (day shift, really) the trouble and time of rebooting the computers each morning just so we can pass meds. (We scan patient’s armbands and their medicines.) It only took a year to make it happen.
I first mentioned it to my unit manager. She said it was a good idea. Then I asked an IT guy if it would fix our current tech problems. He said it was a good idea. About a month ago, our unit manager was having to make rounds with nurses. She asked about problems and solutions to those problems. I again mentioned the idea of having the computers set to reboot themselves. (The same thing you can do with your personal computer.) Apparently I have to leave the state before any of my ideas can be implemented.
Inside the card was a meal card good for $5.00 in our cafeteria. The same expensive cafeteria who won’t give you your employee discount if you use said card. Which means you still end up paying for your meal. Nice.
I don’t normally get riled up when driving, but the one exception is a particular stretch of road on my way to work.
Particular stretch of road
It’s simple enough, really. If you want to take the left ramp, stay on the left. If you want to go right, merge to the right.
Ideal
The problem comes from the idiots who refuse to merge until the last minute. All the safe and efficient drivers have already placed themselves in the right lane earlier. Ideally, there should be a nice smooth entrance to the highway without any need to slow the traffic. Instead, you get this:
Reality
It’s one thing to merge later when there’s little traffic, but to pull that shit during rush hour is unforgivable. And it’s not as if these are drivers who were unable to change lanes earlier. They simply speed past the other drivers, who are not driving slowly, to create a mess at the entrance. They slow traffic to a crawl as they force themselves into the merge at the very last bit of ramp.
Leaving me to exclaim, “Fucker…fucker…fucker…fucker…” to each and every irresponsible driver who would not only slow me and everyone else down – but put us at greater risk for accidents.
The only satisfaction I get is when an 18-wheeler or some other enormous vehicle sees this shit and moves over to straddle the line, blocking those idiot drivers. I love those guys.
This last weekend was unbelievably good. So good that I set a new personal record for myself: I got out on time for 3 days in a row! I can’t remember the last time I stood waiting for 7:08 pm. (One night I was ready to leave at 6:00!) And it wasn’t just good for me. Every night there was a crowd of nurses waiting to clock out. Incredible.
** I know, I know. The things I can do with Paint….
The wedding was beautiful. There was perfect weather for a beach wedding. There was an amazing group of friends and family that were truly a testament to the bride and groom. There were tears shed during their vows and during the bride’s father’s toast. There was dancing. Lots of dancing. And cute groomsmen.
Like my dress, mine was the best. ;) Seriously, this guy was cute, tall, and funny as hell. A few times I caught the potential for douchiness, but it was only a weekend and he was entertaining. I had my first long moonlit walk on the beach with him, including a stop on some large rocks jutting out into the ocean.
After the wedding I stayed a few extra days. I saw the final Hubble mission launch and spent a day at Epcot.
I was not ready to come back.
NBC has a new show out this fall about nurses. It seems to star three stereotypical nurse roles: the newbie nurse, the tough-as-nails experienced nurse, and the sexy nurse, but their featurette video looks promising. Here’s hoping it doesn’t go the way of “Grey’s Anatomy.” (Of which I’ve only seen the first episode of the first season, and that was more than enough for me. Heck, I knew just from the opening credits that it was going to be another bad soap.)
This is my dress for my friend’s beach wedding this Saturday. The bride and 2 of the bridesmaids are my former college roommates and my best friends. We’ll be spending time together before the wedding. Afterward, one of the girls and I are going to the parks and then to see a shuttle launch. I can’t wait. I seriously need to do some shopping today. I work Tuesday and Wednesday. My flight leaves Thursday morning. I could still use some strappy sandals, and I need a garment bag to carry my dress.
* The bride sent an e-mail stating that our intro music to the reception is “Boogie Shoes.” And that prepared choreography is encouraged. Yeah, it worries me a little. So I’ve been looking through a few YouTube videos to try to find some inspiration. I found this and this. The first link seems like something we could do easily as a group.
Update: I found some silver sandals that, while I don’t exactly love, will do. Also, the saleswoman asked me if I was shopping for prom. That I loved.
A few nights ago I heard a lot of commotion from the backyard. I thought it was a mama bird protecting her babies. Instead, I found this guy up in the tree making all those shrill shrieks.
* This is what I came up with after a little Internet research. Correct me if I’m wrong, please.
I”m getting very annoyed with my sister.
She and my brother moved in with me. They go to school full-time and make very little money with their part time jobs, so I don’t charge them rent. Instead, the arrangement was that they would help around the house. My brother mainly takes care of the yard and any odd jobs I ask of him (ex. installing the new ceiling fans). Right now he’s been helping install a privacy fence. He also brings me home pastries from his job in a little white bag with various labels: Rent, Utilities, Phone, etc. It’s kind of cute.
My sister, on the other hand, is doing absolutely nothing. At first I attributed her doing less to the end of the semester . She had a lot of papers and assignments due, so I said nothing and let it slide. Now she’s done with school and still doing nothing. Except hanging out with some new friends, whom I also find extremely annoying.
She started going to a different church several months ago and has become very involved in the young adult group. This would be fine, but she’s never around because of them, though she will still insist that she doesn’t have any free time. The group is mostly young (19-22) * and made up of several married couples. I’m irritated by them as a group for a several reasons, mostly from one night.
1) When they came over for her birthday party, I tried to socialize with them and, after a few one word exchanges, was basically ignored. At one point I remember turning to my brother and asking,”Are they kind of ….?” He finished, “Exclusive?”
2) They left trash all over my house and back yard. I know they saw me later that night starting to clean up, and not a single person offered to help.
3) One of the girls broke a bowl and said nothing to me. I picked it up while cleaning and the bottom fell out. Right now I don’t have that many dishes. That night I had provided paper plates and bowls. I was very pissed until she brought a bowl a few days later to replace it. Still, don’t you tell someone when you break something?
4) They come over to watch TV. They are loud, talking through the entire show, and will keep pausing it to carry on their conversations. One in particular monopolizes those conversations and repeatedly quotes lines along with the show. Of course, they all find it hysterical. I cannot stand to be in the same room.
5) Sometimes they stay late, and they continue to be loud. I have to get up early for work, and my sister knows it. Yet I still have to come around and ask that they keep it down. I don’t want to be that person to have to kick them out, but I swear the next time I will. I’ve had it with them.
*There are a few older members (26-28) that I actually like, but they aren’t around that much. I guess they actually have lives outside the group. Or maybe they find the younger ones just as annoying as I do?
I can’t really do much about the people with whom she chooses to spend her time. We do need to settle the issue of help around the house. I hate that the little time I see my sister is spent nagging, but when else am I going to talk to her? Even more aggravating is that she plays the victim any time I try to bring up the situation. Or claims that she is helping, when all that help amounts to is a broom dragged across the floor. And only when someone from her group is coming over.
I honestly don’t mind footing the bill; I just don’t want to feel like she’s taking advantage of me. And right now, she’s got water, heat, a roof over her head, food in the fridge, a cell phone, cable, internet – and I’m getting nothing in return.
And she’s the victim?
